The Kukkad Diaries

The brunch was at Krusty's, Kharadi right inside the World Trade Center which seems to be turning out as quite a hub for food enthusiasts. The venue was perfect and the weather was sunny and cheery. But it hardly did any cheering for my hangover. So we opted for the inner seating to the outside and settled down for the feast. 

The first thing that was served to me turned out to be a glass of Sangria. Now that usually perks me up considerably because I appreciate a glass of good Sangria when I see one. However I decided that my body could do without more alcohol and reached for good ol' coke instead.

I was leaning over to launch furiously whispered tirade at my fellow bloggers for bringing me there when the BRUSCHETTA PLATTER made its presence known. It looked colorful and tempting at the same time. I instinctively reached out for the pretty pink one which was the BEETROOT MOUSSE WITH OLIVES and I realized how hungry I actually was. 

I made considerable damage on the platter after I devoured the CREAM CHEESE with ONION and CREAM SPINACH ones.

From then on the meal took a headway to more deliciousness. It was amazing how every dish was beautifully presented and every element in the dish accounted for and contributing somehow to bring the whole dish together.

The food was fancy yet wholesome. Something you can sink your teeth into and really relish it. In fact the BACON AND CHEDDAR CHEESE really spoke to my hungover soul. What a cracking dish to be shared with mugs of beer and raucous conversations. The crispy potato coating gave way to reveal a cheesy interior with bits of delicious bacon. What's not to love!

KAFFIR LIME AND LEMON GRASS PRAWNS were a hit on the table. The bite sized prawns were beautifully seasoned and sitting on a delicious sauce full of flavors of lime and lemon grass. The dish was so refreshing and light and yet so scrumptious I ended up stealing quite a number of spoonfuls.

Now I have a soft corner for Ravioli. I mean it's pasta and some. And the SPINACH AND RICOTTA RAVIOLI did it for me. The ravioli were a deliciousness in themselves but the buttery pasta sauce was so light yet creamy, it just made for a heady pasta experience. Every bite was joy. And I'll definitely come back for this ravioli every time the craving hits.

MUSHROOM, ONION, CREAM CHEESE and SPINACH PIZZA was my favorite pizza since a while. The minimal topping only made sure you appreciate the flavors that blended together and the freshness of the ingredients. The pizza was light yet satisfying.


We rounded off the long, scrumptious meal with a luxurious BELGIAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE. The dessert was decadent and a diet buster to boot. The cheese cake was smooth and creamy and rich that made you feel indulged immediately.

Though we were left feeling stuffed, but I was glad I turned up for this tasting. The menu is beautifully curated and the each dish is prepared with care. I love how all the dishes are frill free and just let the fresh ingredients shine through.

I will certainly be back for the Ravioli. And if you are looking for a good European bistro meal, make Krusty's your go to!

Last but not the least, a big thank you to Sijo for the invite. I know I took forever to post this, but I didn't forget it :)
Rohan and the whole Krusty's team deserve a round of applause for the incredible food and service.

The place has been nicely done up with choices for the patrons to sit outside as well as indoors. The upper floor is done up elaborately with rather prominent bar in the middle. The owner/director Rajat Grover received us warmly and introduced us to the menu and theme. 1BHK tries to bring the best of world cuisine to the citizens of Pune and provide the best service as they do so.

We kicked off the session with some drinks and each one was a gem. I opted for my good ol' SANGRIA which was really nicely prepared. But I found really creative cocktails on offer. The ones which stood out for me especially were:

• 1BHK Bartender's special cheesecake fusion was literally like liquid cheesecake with a helping of vodka. To top it, it came with a side of decadent cheesecake slice! I'm picking this everytime.

• Nasha Paan was another drink inspired by Meetha Paan. It had all the flavors of the betel leaves and was really refreshing. Plus the gin and the vodka that went in made for a good drink.

On Saturday, we finally made our way to Koji, Conrad's in-house Asian themed restaurant for the Dimsum festival. Tucked away in one end of the Conrad lobby is this magnificently done up restaurant. It's like stepping in from the intimidatingly grand interiors of a luxury hotel to a intimate yet sumptuous eatery. 

Needless to say, the ambience is classy with the intricate, blown glass chandeliers, artifacts that represent orient in more ways than one, origami wall arts. The place is inviting and resplendent at the same time. We are ushered in to a private dining area that seats at least 14 people, that are usually reserved for the frequent clientele.

What followed certainly did justice to the word 'Festival'. The whole menu celebrates all forms of dimsums. Different fillings and different textures culminate to give a wholesome experience. Needless to say the Dimsum special menu is extensive. Plus there are fun new cocktails and mocktails to go along the dishes, specially crafted for the festival.

If you are going for the Dimsum festival and the menu intimidates you because of all the exotic names (and if you trust me enough :D ), here are some of favorite picks from the menu:

• SPICY LOTUS ROOT and POK CHOY - These dimsums were perhaps my favorite from the vegetarian section. The filling was slightly crunchy yes delicious. Lightly spiced with chilli oil, it was quite a hit.
• POTSTICKERS - The signature dimsums come under both vegetarian and non-vegetarian sections and I found them specially yum. The CHICKEN and CHIVE version was heaven. Very smooth and very beautifully seasoned filling. The vegetarian one is perhaps there to make sure the non-meat eaters don't miss out on this delicacy. The rice flour base adds the crunchiness that just makes this dimsum a class apart.
  
• CLASSIC CHICKEN JIAOZI - These were beautiful specimen on chicken dumplings. The chicken filling of scrumptious poached chicken and the hint of sweetness from the soy felt like a fireworks of flavors in the mouth. If you are kukkad lover, don't miss this.
  
• FLOURLESS LAMB with BLACK BEAN SAUCE - These were perhaps the only dimsums served with some broth. It was soul food with the warm delish bean sauce and rolls of perfectly cooked, tender lamb dumplings that fell apart in every bite to reveal myriad of flavors.
  
• PRAWN TRUFFLE and EDAMAME - I basically binged on this because I couldn't help it. The presentation was class apart as only Conrad can pull off with a activated charcoal dusting. But the taste unwrapped the richness of the prawn truffles and went so well with the edamame beans.
  
• EGG and CUSTARD BUN - This was perhaps my love in first bite! I love this dish to bits. And I love Conrad for having this on the menu. This dish is love. And there is no way you could hate it. Smooth, eggy custard filling inside a pillowy, soft baos. Damn! Even if you are not into asian food or are in no way interested in the Dimsum festival, this is a dish you should go in there for. I will, I'm sure.
  

Our arrival to the property were welcomed by trumpets and drums, like royalty. In fact, all guests are given this special treatment and I never got tired of the sudden blasts of invigorating drumming the entire day. Mr. Biswajit and Mr. Lobo, in charge of the property, personally greeted us and showed us around to our rooms.




Our rooms were The Kholi- Deluxe rooms from their selection of rooms. The rooms had a part of the 300 year old fort wall on one side and some newly added partitions that made it really thrilling. There were cozy nooks around the room which were probably embrasures on the fort walls that were used in the olden days to fire cannons from, but now were (thankfully) used just to provide some natural light to the space.



The room also had window seats over looking the small walk-way outside and were wide enough cushioned and cushioned enough for one to laze/ sleep around.


The highlight of the day was perhaps the audio tour we got to the whole property. The good thing about the audio tour is that it does away with guides all together and any need to hurry or drag your pace in comparison to your fellow tour-takers. Each of us were handed headsets, maps to the property, information brochures and audio devices which could be operated manually to provide commentary in Hindi, English or Marathi.



The tour covered all parts of the fort including the scary looking, very dark and very narrow dungeon that triggered my claustrophobia quite a bit. But I did manage to climb down into it and have a look around in the dank, musty blackness before fleeing out.

The tour then took us to the original water reservoir or the kund that has now been transformed to a fancy temperature-controlled swimming pool.The swimming pool area has an island with a couple of neem trees you could lounge under.



The grounds also house the Aai (Mother) museum. It houses the small but very detailed collection lovingly curated by Doctor Vithal Venkatesh Kamat and dedicated to mothers across the world. The museum doesn't allow cameras but it's a treasure trove of knowledge that you could spend hours in.



The whole property is green and beautiful intact with a 200 year old temple where young couples can still get married if it strikes their particular fancy. But in any case, the hotel management has been trying to brand itself as a candidate for destination weddings. To be honest, a heritage fort could be a good place to host a lavish wedding.



There are a lot of activities to be involved in and fun to be had. Guests can indulge in archery, shooting, paintball, segway rides, zip lining or rappelling if they are in need of a distraction. Or they can simply take a hike up the hills lining one side of the fort that overlooks a stone quarry and lake and the fort with its beautiful grounds.

Meals are extensive affair with each served as a buffet. We had our breakfasts and lunches at the CHAJJA restaurant, closest to the rooms.

Dinner was had at the spacious PAYATHA, which touts itself as a ethnic foothill restaurant. I found the food more or less similar in taste, though the dishes may have been different.



With all the jazz about the place, the food wasn't really the high point of the visit. But what really got us on our feet was the amazing LAVANI and MARTIAL ARTS SHOW before dinner. The men performing the show performed brilliant stunts with fire and swords and like that ensured we remained at the edge of our seats until it was over.

LAVANI, a traditional maharashtrian dance form was enjoyed by the entire crowd and was the most popular show. The beautiful women, decked in sarees and jewellery made sure the crowd was engaged for the entire span of 2 hours that they were on the floor. No sooner, they had us dancing with them. Know Marathi or not, having fun is something everyone surely understands!



Next day was a day to bid the hotel a goodbye and we half wished to stay a bit more longer. I bid farewell to Jadhavgadh by fitting in a quick dip in the pool in the morning before we packed to leave. I mean, come on, wouldn't you?

It was a short trip, yes. Very (very) close to the city, yes. But the fun we had was immense. We got back to our regular monotone with happy hearts and lifted spirits. Isn't that what's a vacation about?

A big thanks to the entire team at Jadhavgadh for treating us like royalties. Also, hugs to the lovely Neha Joshi for having us come over.

If you are interested in staying over for the weekends or planning a one day fun trip for your family, I do recommend checking with the hotel for special packages suited to your needs! Do let us know how you liked the place and tag us in your pictures!

In spite of these minor setbacks, you can definitely opt for Unwind for a good place to.... unwind(?) at the end of the day. Also, I guess we also have to take in the consideration of the fact that this is a really new place and it's still evolving everyday. They are constantly taking feedback and improving on food and things.

Do give this place a shot and tell me YOUR favorites if any?